By road, Bento Gonçalves and Atlántida, Uruguay are about 544 miles (875 km) apart, or roughly 12 h 37 min of driving. You cross from Brazil into Uruguay at about mile 311.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Brazil: informal housing developments (favelas, vilas, comunidades or conglomerados).
Full advisory: Brazil, Uruguay. Advisory issued: Brazil August 31, 2026; Uruguay July 28, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Brazil: “Road maintenance is inadequate in many areas.”
- Uruguay: “Illumination, pavement markings, and road surfaces for secondary roads can be poor.”
| Distance by road | 544 mi (875 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 12 h 37 min |
| Main roads, in order | BR-470 → ERS-446 → ERS-122 → ERS-240 → BR-116 |
| Border crossing | about mile 311, Brazil → Uruguay |
| Regions on the route | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Canelones |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The border on the way to Atlántida
The route crosses at about mile 311, from Rio Grande do Sul into Cerro Largo. Plan on two checks on each side: immigration for your passport and customs for the car.
| Entering Uruguay (U.S. citizens) | No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. |
|---|---|
| Driving in Uruguay | You can drive on your U.S. license. |
| Entering Brazil (U.S. citizens) | Visa required: apply and get approved before you travel; travelers without visas can't enter. Passport: must be valid for one month at entry, with a blank page for each stamp. |
| Driving in Brazil | If you'll stay more than 180 days and drive, carry an Inter-American Driving Permit with your U.S. license. |
| Rental car | Cross only if the rental company authorizes it in writing and gives you the papers for the border; ask before you book. |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Uruguay (updated August 13, 2026); U.S. State Department, Brazil (updated August 06, 2026). Checked October 10, 2026; rules change, so confirm before you go.
On the road from Bento Gonçalves to Atlántida
BR-116 (196 mi) and ERS-122 (24 mi) carry about 40% of the 544 miles. The first 311 miles are in Brazil; the last 233 are in Uruguay. It runs through 5 regions: Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Canelones. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Bento Gonçalves to Atlántida
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-470 | 1–10 | 9 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-446 | 10–19 | 9 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-122 | 19–43 | 24 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| ERS-240 | 43–52 | 9 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 52–165 | 113 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 165–225 | 60 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| BR-116 | 225–308 | 83 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| connecting roads | 308–309 | 1 | Rio Grande do Sul |
| local roads | 309–544 | 235 | Rio Grande do Sul, Cerro Largo, Treinta y Tres, Lavalleja, Canelones |
- Mile 311 of this route: Rio Grande do Sul → Cerro Largo (international border)
- Mile 337 of this route: Cerro Largo → Treinta y Tres (region line)
- Mile 408 of this route: Treinta y Tres → Lavalleja (region line)
- Mile 518 of this route: Lavalleja → Canelones (region line)
Places worth a stop between Bento Gonçalves and Atlántida
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 166), Teatro Lavalleja (mile 492)
- Nature and outdoors: Salto Ventoso (mile 17), Salto del Penitente (mile 482), Parque nacional Arequita (mile 492)
- Museums and history: Casa da Feitoria Velha - Atual Museu do Imigrante (mile 53), Museu do Comando Militar do Sul (mile 73), Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (mile 166)
Salto Ventoso
Salto Ventoso is a waterfall in Farroupilha, Brazil, and a tourist attraction of regional importance.
Casa da Feitoria Velha - Atual Museu do Imigrante
The Casa da Feitoria in São Leopoldo, in the Rio dos Sinos valley, housed a royal hemp-linen farm from 1788 until March 1824 and is also known as the Casa do Imigrante.
Museu do Comando Militar do Sul
Also known as the Army Museum, the Museu do Comando Militar do Sul sits on Rua dos Andradas in Porto Alegre's historic center and presents the history of the Brazilian Army.
Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves
Created by state decree in 1972 and linked to Rio Grande do Sul's culture department, this historic park stands on the old Sesmaria do Cristal, land once granted to the father of Farroupilha leader Bento Gonçalves da Silva.
Quebrada de los Cuervos
Crossed by the Yerbal Chico creek, the Quebrada de los Cuervos is a ravine in Treinta y Tres department and a natural protected area in Uruguay.
Salto del Penitente
Parque nacional Arequita
Arequita National Park is a protected natural area in Lavalleja department, southeastern Uruguay, known for Cerro Arequita, its related rock formations and its biodiversity.
Teatro Lavalleja
Teatro Lavalleja is a theater complex in the city of Minas, in the Lavalleja department of Uruguay.
Arriving in Atlántida
Iglesia de Cristo Obrero y Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Since 2021, UNESCO has counted Eladio Dieste's Church of Christ the Worker among its World Heritage Sites. The engineer's brick church in Estación Atlántida was inaugurated in 1960 and is known for its undulating walls and roof.
Laguna del Cisne
Near Salinas in Canelones, Laguna del Cisne is a subtropical lagoon of about 1.8 km², fed by a watershed of some 50 km², that has supplied drinking water to the Costa de Oro area since 1970.
More drives to Atlántida
- Paysandú to Atlántida
- Tacuarembó to Atlántida
- Rivera to Atlántida
- Artigas to Atlántida
- Bella Unión to Atlántida
- Durazno to Atlántida
More drives from Bento Gonçalves
- Bento Gonçalves to Guaíra
- Bento Gonçalves to Tubarão
- Bento Gonçalves to Santana do Livramento
- Bento Gonçalves to Chuí
- Bento Gonçalves to Mercedes, Argentina
- Bento Gonçalves to Maldonado, Uruguay
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Bento Gonçalves to Atlántida, Uruguay?
About 12 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 544 miles.
How far is Atlántida, Uruguay from Bento Gonçalves by car?
About 544 miles (875 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Where does the Bento Gonçalves to Atlántida drive cross the border?
At about mile 311, from Brazil into Uruguay.
What do U.S. citizens need to drive from Bento Gonçalves into Uruguay?
No visa needed for visits of 90 days or less. Passport: must be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date. You can drive on your U.S. license. (U.S. State Department, updated August 13, 2026.)
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Bento Gonçalves to Atlántida drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Brazil Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Uruguay Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Bento Gonçalves to Atlántida use?
In order: BR-470, ERS-446, ERS-122, ERS-240 and BR-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Bento Gonçalves to Atlántida?
Closest to the road: Casa da Feitoria Velha - Atual Museu do Imigrante (museum, mile 53, 3 mi from the route); Parque Histórico General Bento Gonçalves (museum, mile 166, 0.5 mi from the route); Teatro Lavalleja (theater, mile 492, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.